Malwa on the boil again as farmers turn on the heat

Five months after six farmers lost their lives to police bullets and lathis in Mandsaur while demanding remunerative price for their crops, Malwa is on the boil once again.

While in June the effects of demonetisation led to price crash, this time Bhavantar (crop price deficit payment) scheme appears to be the culprit as farmers are getting much lower price for their produce than what they got before the scheme was introduced.

Farmers are alleging that before Bhavantar scheme was introduced on October 16 in the state, price of soyabean was around ~3,000 per quintal, while minimum support price was ~3,050 per quintal. They were also not getting their payment in cash (up to ~50,000) as promised under the scheme.

On Monday, farmers went on the rampage in Agar Malwa mandi, a district 200 km north west of Bhopal, after soyabean prices failed to rise above ~2,100 per quintal during auction. Several persons were injured and the mandi office was damaged in stone-pelting. Police resorted to a a lathicharge after which seven farmers were arrested.

The same day, farmers looted soya bean belonging to traders at the Nalkheda mandi, situated 30 km from Agar Malwa.

Last week, farmers staged a demonstration outside Karod mandi in Bhopal and in the neighbouring Raisen district, they staged a chakka-jam outside the Begumganj mandi. In both cases, farmers were facing difficulty in selling their crops due to Bhavantar scheme.

“Every day we are getting reports of farmers clashing with administration and traders from all the state, but mainly from the Malwa region which produces maximum amount of soyabean which is under the abmit of Bhavantar scheme,” says Bharatiya Kisan Union head Shiv Kumar alias Kakkaji.

Explaining the reason behind

BHOPAL:

the farmer’s anger farmer leader Anil Yadav says, “There is no clarity in the scheme and the officials too have no answers. The traders are taking advantage of the situation and have formed a cartel to cheat the farmers.”

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath highlighted the problem and tweeted: “Prices are falling after implementation of the Bhavantar scheme. Review the scheme, do not make it a prestige issue.” In another tweet, the senior Congress leader urged that crops should be purchased at the MSP as was done earlier.

The farmer leaders are also saying the same language. “MSP should be reintroduced. It is easy to understand,” argued Kakkaji.

On Monday, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed district collectors on the implementation of the scheme and instructed officials that farmers should be informed about Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana. Chouhan also emphasised that strict action be taken against middlemen if they try to get mileage from the scheme.

Despite repeated calls and messages, state agriculture minister Gauri Shankar Bisen or principal secretary Rajesh Rajora could not be contacted.